Please be sure to read the product label of any insecticide you choose to use to get information on the personal protective safety gear you will need. In most situations, it is recommended that you wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, closed toe shoes with socks, chemical resistant gloves, and goggles. In areas where ventilation is poor, a manufacturer may recommend you wear a mask or a respirator. We have put together two different safety kits that will make selecting the correct safety gear easier for you.

How to Select the Best Fertilizer for Your Lawn

The Fertilizer Buyer's Guide

Just like people and animals, grass and plants require nutrients to grow. Most grass and plants do not naturally produce enough of the nutrients they need to thrive, which can result in browning, wilting, and fewer blooms. Fortunately, fertilizers can give foliage a boost of vitamins and minerals through nutrients to increase the health of the plant.

Healthy lawns are better equipped to resist disease, weeds, and pests which is why it is so important to increase the nutrients in turf and soil.

Read this guide to learn everything you need to know before selecting a fertilizer for your lawn including:

What is Fertilizer?

A proper lawn fertilizer application is essential to keep your lawn healthy and help prevent weeds, pests, and disease. Learn the basics of NPK Ratios and when and how to apply fertilizer.
Hey this is Kyle from DoMyOwn.com.
Every bag of fertilizer has three numbers on it. These numbers are the macro-nutrients Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Or what is known as the NPK Ratio.
Nitrogen helps green up lawns and produces healthy leaf growth above the soil.
Phosphorus helps strengthen the plant roots below the soil.
Potassium keeps the plant healthy and balanced overall all around the plant.
In order to select the proper fertilizer, a soil analysis test will be needed to see what nutrients your lawn lacks. You can either reach out to your local extension office or you can purchase a soil analysis kit and send it in to them. If you do not already know your grass type, your local extension office can assist you when you take a soil test.
Fertilizer comes in granular and liquid form.
Liquid fertilizers work fast and are quickly absorbed into plant root systems. They can be applied with a hand pump sprayer or backpack sprayer. With liquid fertilizer, there is a higher chance of lawn damage since it needs to be applied more frequently than granular fertilizers.
Granular fertilizers are slower to absorb and will take longer, however, there is a less of a chance of them burning your lawn. Granular fertilizers can be applied using a granular spreader. The granules will need to be watered in.
Your fertilizer application will depend on your grass type. Cool season grasses should be fertilized when the lawn comes back from dormancy and again at the beginning of fall. Don’t fertilize in the warmest summer months. Warm season grass types can be fertilized every 6-8 weeks during the summer. Some warm season grasses are fertilized 2-4 times a year, including before the start of spring and at the end of summer.
If you liked this video, subscribe to our channel or give us a thumbs up. You can also check out these other great videos. Thanks!

Fertilizer is a mixture of nutrients that lawns often lack. Fertilizers are available in liquid and granular forms and can be natural, meaning they're made of natural or organic materials, or synthetic, meaning the nutrients were manufactured in a lab.

All fertilizers are labeled with their macro-nutrients, the three nutrients that are essential for plant growth:

Potassium (K) enhances the overall growth of plants, keeping them healthy and balanced.

Together, these three nutrients are known as N-P-K, named for their atomic elements on the periodic table. The levels of N-P-K will be listed on the bag or bottle of fertilizer, always in the order of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium. The numbers indicate the percentage of each element per pound of fertilizer. For example, a fertilizer listed with an N-P-K of 20-0-8 has 20% nitrogen, 0% phosphorus, and 8% potassium per pound. Some labels will also help you calculate the amount of N-P-K per 1,000 square feet, helpful for large applications.

Pro Tip

Another way to remember the order of the macro-nutrients is to remember "Up, Down, and All Around." Up refers to Nitrogen, which helps the growth of the plant above the soil, Down refers to Phosphorus, which helps the roots under the soil, and All Around refers to Potassium, which helps the overall health of the plant.

Natural fertilizers tend to have a lower percentage of N-P-K than synthetic fertilizers, meaning you will have to use more natural fertilizer for the same results. Synthetic fertilizers often work faster than natural fertilizers, however, natural fertilizers often contain additional nutrients that are beneficial to turf health. Natural fertilizers are also less likely to burn lawns than synthetic fertilizers.

Testing Your Soil for Nutrients

Knowing what nutrients your lawn lacks will help you select a fertilizer. A good way to find out what nutrients your lawn needs is to take a soil sample for testing. Reach out to your local extension office to find out how they will conduct the soil test. Typically, you will collect soil samples from around your lawn (front yard, backyard, side yard, gardens, etc.) and bring them to the extension office. The office will then run a test for a minimal fee (or for free!) and create a report on the nutrition content of your soil.

You can also use an at home soil test kit. Just collect your sample, send the kit back in the pre-addressed envelope, and you will be sent your results via email in 7-10 days.

If your soil is lacking nitrogen, you will choose a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. If you need more potassium, select a high potassium fertilizer. DoMyOwn's lawn care professionals can help determine what nutrients your lawn needs, even if your lawn is lacking any additional nutrients outside of the three main macro-nutrients, such as iron. They may also recommend that you use a soil amendment. Soil amendments improve nutrient deficiencies in soil, which help the soil better hold and grow turf.

Pro Tip

While you are taking the time to have a soil test conducted, have the local extension office identify your grass type if you do not already know it. That way, you will always know which fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides will and will not be compatible with your grass.

Fertilizer Formulations

There are many different formulations of fertilizers, each with their own benefits and draw backs. Consider the following when selecting a fertilizer:

Fast-Release - Like the name implies, fast-release fertilizers quickly add nutrients to the soil of your lawn or garden. This helps grass to green up quickly. Fast-release fertilizers are usually inexpensive too.

Unfortunately, most fast-release fertilizers do not last long, so they will need to be re-applied frequently. This may make them more expensive over a season as you will use more fertilizer for the same results as a slow-release fertilizer. Fast-release fertilizers also carry a higher risk of burning your lawn as they are nutrient-packed.

Slow-Release or Controlled-Release - These fertilizers create a more even and uniform growth and carry a reduced risk of burning grass and plants. They are also compatible with most grass types.

The downside of slow-release fertilizers is that they can take more time to produce results. These fertilizers are often more expensive than fast-release but they last longer.

Weed and Feed - Weed and feed fertilizers are fertilizers that also contain basic weed control, thus helping two problems at once. Different weed and feed fertilizers control different weeds, so be sure to read labels to select the product that is best for your lawn.

It is important not to use weed and feed fertilizers on new sod or grass seed because weed and feed often contains herbicides that inhibit the germination of seeds.

Winterizer - Winterizer fertilizer helps lawns prepare for the winter. An increase in nutrients before harsh winter weather will keep the lawn healthy, aid in disease resistance, and promote growth in the spring. The fertilizer is applied in the late fall but does not support growth of the lawn in the fall. If you have a cool-season grass, select a winterizer with a high nitrogen content.

A winterizer with a low nitrogen content but higher phosphorus and potassium is best for warm-season grasses.

Lawn-Starter - Lawn-starter fertilizer is designed to help new sod or grass seeds grow. Starter fertilizer is high in phosphorus to reinforce the roots of the new grass.

When to Apply Fertilizer

When to apply fertilizer largely depends on the type of grass you have. For any type of grass, multiple fertilizer applications throughout the year is the best way to maintain a healthy lawn year-round.

Warm season grasses like centipede, zoysia, and Bermuda should be fertilized 2-4 times per year, including just before the start of spring, when the grass is beginning to grow, and at the end of the summer. Aim for fertilizing every 6-8 weeks through the end of summer.

Cool season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass should be fertilized just after the lawn comes back from winter dormancy and again at the beginning of fall. Do not fertilize in the warmest summer months.

Fertilizer should be applied in the morning or evening to prevent burning in sweltering sun of the afternoon. Apply fertilizer after the last frost of the spring and before the first frost of the fall. Fertilize your lawn 2-4 times per year, according to the results of your soil analysis.

Check out our lawn care calendars for more information on when to fertilize throughout the year.

Pro Tip

Beware of fertilizer burn! Fertilizer burn can occur when fertilizer is applied during hot weather, the wrong type of fertilizer is used, or too much fertilizer is used in one area. The result is scorched leaves and grass that can look like drought. If you do encounter fertilizer burn, heavily water your lawn and plants daily for one week to keep the roots wet.

How to Apply Fertilizer

Fertilizer comes in two forms - liquid and granular. Both are equally effective at fertilizing lawns, however they both have their pros and cons.

Liquid fertilizers work fast, as the fertilizer is quickly absorbed into the roots of the turf. However, liquid fertilizer needs to be applied more frequently and there is a higher chance of burning the lawn if you apply too much fertilizer.

Granular fertilizers are slower to absorb into the soil and roots, meaning it will take longer to improve the health of plants and grass. But, granular fertilizers do not need to be applied as often and there is less chance of burning the lawn.

Granular fertilizers are applied to lawns and plant beds with a granular spreader. The lawn should be damp before applying the granules and then watered after the granules have been spread (a process known as "watering in") to activate the granules. Be careful not to apply granules in the full summer sun as that can cause fertilizer burn to the lawn.

Learn how to mix and apply liquids and granules in our helpful guide here. For all fertilizers, be sure to read the label of the bottle or bag to ensure the fertilizer is compatible with your grass type and to learn how much to use at a time. Remember, more fertilizer than recommended does not mean faster results.

One of the best ways to get a beautiful green lawn is by applying some fertilizer! In this video, Paul will go over how and why to choose fertilizers for your lawn!
Time to feed the yard!
Now before I go into all the tips and tricks when it comes to fertilizing, I want to circle back and talk about my soil test that I did.
I'm not going very in depth over my soil test results because, to be honest, I don't know how to break it down for you in simple terms. But the co-op extension office will. So just give them a call and they can break it down for you and go over the results and explain it to you in a way that is understandable.
For my yard the biggest take away is I need more Phosphorus in the front and less in the back. My Phosphorus count was very high in the back so the co-op extension office suggested that I put some Lime down to help balance out that pH level. And that doesn't really surprise me because that's where all the moss was. So it's pretty acidic back there.
The amount of lime you need to correct soil pH is going to be dependent upon the actual soil itself. All the more reason to get a soil test so it can help to determine how much you need to put back there to help balance things out.
The ideal soil pH is between a 6 and 7, so slightly acidic, but anything below a 6, or becomes more acidic, certain nutrients like potassium, and phosphorus, and nitrogen, and calcium, that becomes unavailable for proper growth of our grass.
Which brings us to the topic of fertilizers themselves. See all fertilize products provide some uniform information to help consumers like you and me to compare products easily and figure out what it is we need that will help our yard.
Every label carries three numbers, usually right above or below the product name, these three numbers form what is called the fertilizers NPK ratio. And those letters stand for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.
The products NPK numbers reflect each nutrients percentage by weight. So for example if a fertilizer has 34-0-4 on it, it contains 34 percent Nitrogen, zero percent Phosphorus, and four percent Potassium.
Plants need a large quantity of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. We refer to those as the Macro Nutrients.
Now other elements such as Iron are just as critical to plant survival, but plants need them in much smaller quantities.
Each of those three main nutrients, N P K, all have their own specific job that they do.
Nitrogen, it spurs vigorous leafy growth and rich green color in the lawn.
Phosphorus really focuses on good strong root development.
And finally Potassium. That enhances overall growth, and helps regulate root and top growth, and keeps plants healthy and balanced.
Remember it like this, up, down, all around. Nitrogen's going to help with the up. Potassium going to help with the down, and Phosphorus is going to help with the all around.
For my yard and its pretty common for a lot of yards, I'm going to use a starter fertilizer. An 18-24-12. That's going to really help my Bermuda come out of dormancy, and spring into life.
As for when we want to fertilize, we want to hit before full growth really starts. For warm season grasses you want to hit it around late spring or early summer and maybe a second app at the end of summer.
For cool season grass types, hit it around early fall, around October and November before the grass goes dormant.
For both types of grass, you shouldn't apply anything that is wet or needs to get watered in during the heat of the day. Water acts like a magnifying glass and can cause the plants to get scorched! If you do apply fertilizer granules in the heat of the day, just make sure the grass is dry, and you are confident that burning will not occur.
Now the timing of my fertilizing, I had rain the day before, which brings up a good point. You want to water the lawn one to two days before application to prep it to receive the fertilizer.
You want to water just after the application of fertilizer to insure the product gets into the soil. Now the way I timed it, my aeration, my fertilizing, my overseeding, it rained the day before I tackled this project, so the soil was nice and loose, I was able to pull out some decent plugs, and the next following two days after doing all this, I've got rain forecast. So, I'm going to let mother nature do the work for me, and let it water in that fertilizer and grass seed. That way I don't have to bust out the water hose and the sprinklers and do all that mess.
As for calibrating my spreader, all I did was read the product label of the fertilizer that I'm going to be putting down. Every fertilizer and grass seed is going to tell you what you need to set your spreader to, to get the amount that you want in your yard. So you just simply go to the dial on your spreader, set it accordingly and your off.
What I'm going to do first is make a trim pass. I'm going to throw down the edge control on my spreader, so that I'm not throwing out fertilizer onto the sidewalk or the driveway. And I'll just make a perimeter pass so that I get a nice barrier on the edges. Then I'll just simply just go back and forth through the yard, until I get the appropriate amount of fertilizer that I want.
So that's fertilizing! It is an exact science and every yard is going to be different. Your needs are going to be different from mine; so what I've done to my yard is probably not going to fit yours. All the more reason to get a soil test, have somebody explain it to you, and reach out to our customer service staff, to figure out what it is you need to put in your yard to make it thrive.
This was a really fun part of the rehab program and I'm hoping for some really good results.
One other important thing your going to need when it comes to fertilizer, patience! It's not going to happen over night!
I should see some results in about four to six weeks and I'll go from there. I'm planning on hitting it with another fertilizer in about a month and a half, with a higher Nitrogen content, so I get that nice deep, rich, green color!
Like I say at the end of every video, if there's something I missed when it comes to fertilizing, you can leave them in the comments section below, or shoot our customer service staff an email, or pick up the phone and give them a call.
The next topic I'm going to touch on and flush out for you is over seeding. I did that when I did my aerating and my fertilizing, but like I said in the aeration video, I'm going to make that a seperate one, so that I can go into it a little bit further and these videos don't end up being 30 minutes long!
So please make sure to subscribe to the channel so that you can catch those videos by clicking this button right here!
And you can also click this play list to see everything that we've done in the yard so far!
And as always, thanks for watching!